English → Bisaya · Family
“Mother” in Bisaya: Mama / Nanay / Inahan
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “Mother” is Mama / Nanay / Inahan, pronounced MAH-mah / NAH-nai. It's used as a noun in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.
Bisaya translation
Mama / Nanay / Inahan
MAH-mah / NAH-nai
- English meaning
- Mother / Mom
- Part of speech
- noun
How to pronounce Mama / Nanay / Inahan
Say it as MAH-mah / NAH-nai. Capitalized syllables in the pronunciation guide indicate stress — the part of the word you emphasize when speaking. Bisaya stress is meaningful: putting it on the wrong syllable can change the meaning of a word, so it's worth practicing out loud.
Example sentences
Asa ang imong mama?
“Where is your mother?”
“Mother” across Visayan languages
Bisaya is part of a larger family. Here's how the same word appears in five major Visayan languages:
- Cebuanoinahan / nanay
- Hiligaynoniloy / nanay
- Warayiroy / nanay
- Kinaray-ananay / iloy
- Tausugina
Related Bisaya words
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "Mother" in Bisaya?
How do you pronounce "Mama / Nanay / Inahan"?
What does "Mama / Nanay / Inahan" mean in English?
How do you use "Mama / Nanay / Inahan" in a sentence?
Is Bisaya the same as Cebuano?
Continue learning Bisaya
More than just translations.
Browse the full Bisaya dictionary, compare words across all five Visayan languages, or jump into our beginner's guide.